car wont crank

My moms 97 Quest wont start... unless you leave it in batt mode for like 2 minutes.

If you try to do it immidiately.. it has the same effect as when you try to start a car without a battery.

The negative terminal cabling is white and blue with some frosty looking stuff which i can assume is rust or oxidation.... any comments on what I should do or what else could possibly be the prob?

Dont know why it gets the juice to start if i let it stay in the ON mode for 2 mins...

help me out!!!


Thanks in Advance!

I'd start by unhooking your battery cables and cleaning the ends and battery posts up good it sounds like there is so much corrosion on them that they might not be making a good connection.

Yup. Make a solution in a cup of water and several tablespoons of baking soda. Enough soda to make it thick, but not pasty. Kinda like thin pancake batter. Pull the terminals off and clean them, then pour that baking soda right on the terminals. Come back in about 10 minutes and rinse it with clean water and re-assemble. Good as new.

That crystally stuff on the terminals is corrosion and it does have acidic properties so avoid getting it on your skin or any paint.